The present invention relates to the field of pick-up devices for animal litter, trash or the like, and more particularly to a pick-up device having foldable or rotatable portions enabling the device to be arranged in a compact manner for commercial displays, and which further includes a trigger mechanism having a bail lock, and a storage compartment for holding a quantity of bags used in the procedure of animal litter or trash pick-up.
In the past, it has been a conventional practice to provide pick-up devices for automatically grabbing and holding animal litter, trash or the like. Problems and difficulties have been encountered with such conventional devices because components of the device extend outwardly from the main body of the device so that it is difficult to arrange the device for commercial display in the marketplace or to be forwarded through a mail service. Conventional pick-up devices are not compact and are generally not suitable for commercial display. Furthermore, most prior pick-up devices do not have a bail locking means for preventing premature release of a loaded collection bag which is generally carried on the device. Also, it is difficult for the user to release the bag for ultimate disposal in a refuse container or the like. Still a further problem when employing conventional trash or animal litter pick-up devices resides in providing a supply of bags, such as a roll of bags, in the body of the device itself so that the bags and the device provide a unitary construction and the bags are available for use without the user having to store the bags in a remote location. The bags should be stored on a roll and means should be provided for permitting the bags to be pulled from storage and separated on an individual basis for usage.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel animal litter or trash pick-up device, which includes a storage arrangement for a multiple bag supply and which will permit removal of an individual bag from the supply for assembly onto spreadable bails carried on the device. Also, a releasable locking mechanism should be included for controlling the bail separation mechanism.
The present invention also relates to the field of sanitary pick-up devices for animal waste, unclean or untouchable material, trash and the like, and more particularly to a portable pick-up device having a storage compartment for holding a quantity of bags or wrappers, and a waste pickup bail and actuator arrangement for positive grasping and collection of material, transportation to a convenient refuse container, toilet or sanitary area, and disposed of.
It is often desirable to have a clean, sanitary device for picking up unclean or untouchable material such as pet waste, chemicals, solids of various kinds, small animals, specimens, temperature sensitive items, etc., in a bag or wrapper, and transporting the material or item to a convenient area, such as a refuse container, chemical bin, laboratory, etc., for deposit.
Regarding pet waste, the desirability to keep lawns, parks, beaches, walkways, and the like clean of undesirable material, may also prevent health hazards. In addition, there are laws, ordinances, lease requirements, and Home Owner Association agreements being enacted daily requiring the owner of an animal to perform such cleanup.
It is particularly desirable to be able to accomplish such cleanup in a sanitary manner with the correct size of bag or wrapper and have a supply of disposable bags available for immediate multiple use, without contaminating or getting such material on the users hands or clothing, or on permanent parts of the pick-up device.
Existing devices generally involved pushing or scraping the undesirable material into a foreign container or receptacle, such as a pan or cup, either with an additional tool or by scooping the material with the receptacle itself. This often resulted in the receptacle and/or the tool becoming contaminated by the material and requiring that it be cleaned immediately to avoid an unsanitary condition created by merely storing the device.
Further, prior devices required great care in transporting the material to avoid dropping it, and often those devices would not readily permit picking up a second or third load of material without using another bag immediately. The invention therefore is directed to providing a convenient supply of custom designed bags that are easily dispensed, so that the pickup device can become a self contained unit.